St
James’ is a Church of England church whose history goes back to
a hermitage built in the 13th century on an older site of Christian
worship and against the old Roman wall of London, somewhere where the
Museum of London now stands.
We hope you will find the worship here – within the Catholic tradition – a real blessing to you. The worshipping community at St James’ is open, inclusive and welcoming – we want you to feel entirely ‘at home’ among us.
The Catholic tradition
For us, the Christian faith is not a hobby – Catholic Christianity challenges us to build the whole of our lives with Christ at the centre, and it offers us the spiritual wisdom and resources of centuries to help us grow spiritually.
It encourages us to make a rule of life – to commit ourselves to a pattern of worship each Sunday and a pattern of daily prayer and regular Bible reading.
By sharing in the Eucharist and our daily prayer we unite ourselves to Christians across the world in the unending worship of God.
Catholic means universal, for everybody - our faith is not a private affair.
Our calling is the making holy of ourselves in the journey of faith; the respect and reverence for creation; working with others in the issues of truth, justice and peace - in all that touches human life; and the celebration of the life’s rich diversity.
At its best, the Liturgy – our worship - should convey a sense of the Divine Presence, of God’s transcendent greatness and also his intimate closeness to us in the sacraments. It can lift us beyond the limitations of this world and enable us to experience the truth that we are indeed worshipping with ‘angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven’.
Our journey together seeks to understand – in classical Anglican fashion – what it means to be a committed Christian today in the light of scripture, tradition and reason.
We have a vision for a grown-up Christianity which reconciles genuine faith and commitment with intelligence and experience.
Worship style at St James’
You will be given a warm welcome when you arrive at St James’ by our Welcome Team, who will give you an Order of Service Book, with text from Common Worship of the Church of England. At the main services some parts are ‘said’ and other parts sung. The Order of Service Book will guide you through the service, what to do and when!
You will also be handed a hymn book – we use the New English Hymnal – and (on Sundays) a weekly notice sheet containing hymn numbers, readings, additional hymns and psalms.
The Holy Communion is at the heart of our worship at St James’ which is also enriched by the use of vestments (the clothes worn by the clergy), colour, incense and music.
An offertory is taken during the 10.00 a.m. Mass. There are many other ways of giving to the Church; our Church Wardens will be pleased to advise you.
If you are a visitor or have recently moved into the area please make yourself known to the priest or someone else after Mass. We will be glad to welcome you and introduce you to our family.
Traditions, Symbols and Customs
You will notice a variety of traditions, symbols and customs in use during worship at St James’. Visitors to our church may not always know what these different elements represent. Here are some short explanations:
Standing, kneeling or sitting for prayer
Early Christians attached symbolic value to standing and kneeling. Standing
was the ‘norm’, kneeling being reserved for penitential
occasions. Many people find kneeling to be a natural posture for prayer
or receiving communion.
At St James’ people are welcome to sit, kneel or stand according
to what is most comfortable for them.
The sign of the cross
Early Christians made the sign of the cross on themselves to show that
they accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour.
It is the ‘badge’ by which we are marked at Baptism and
carry all through life. At St James’ the sign of the cross is
made at various points in the service, including the introduction of
the Gospel, during the Eucharistic Prayer and at the final Blessing.
It is a matter of personal choice whether this custom is adopted.
Genuflecting
- or going down on one knee - if you are able! - is a mark of respect
for the sacramental presence of Christ.
You will notice some people looking towards the altar and genuflecting
before taking their seat in church.
Ringing the sanctuary bell
A bell is rung at the beginning of the Mass to alert us to the presence
of Christ among us. It is rung again during the Eucharistic Prayer when
the priest says the words of Jesus over the bread and wine. It is also
rung to invite the congregation to the place where communion is distributed.
It is a reminder too of days when the church was the general meeting
place for the community – when the bell rang, all other matters
gave way until worship was over.
Standing for the Gospel Reading
The Gospel is read at St James’ from a place amongst God’s
people (usually half way down the centre aisle).
We stand and face the place where it is read because it is good news
central to our lives. The gospel reading is attended by incense and
candles.
The sign of the Peace
Before receiving communion the congregation is invited by the priest
to show its unity by sharing the ‘sign of the peace’. This
usually involves shaking hands with the people around you and saying
“peace be with you” and replying “and also with you”.
The clergy and visiting preachers also move through the congregation
offering the Peace to all.
The use of incense
Incense is used in many religious rites and is seen as a symbol of the
prayers of the worshippers rising up to the altar of God. Throughout
the service the priest and congregation are ‘honoured’ with
incense – the altar too, because it is both the place where the
sacrifice of Christ is remembered and we gather as a family. It is also
used when the Gospel is read and the sacraments (bread and wine) are
prepared.
The use of liturgical colours
Colours play an important part in our lives and we also tell God’s
story with colour.
There are four colours that we use in Church for the vestments (clothes)
that the priest wears and also the hangings on the altar.
| Purple |
- |
for the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent |
| White |
- |
for joyous occasions including Christmas and Easter |
| Red |
- |
for Pentecost, the Feast of the Holy Spirit and also for the Feast Days of the Saints who were martyred for faith |
| Green |
- |
for the long season after Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost). Green represents the colour of a steadily growing faith |
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